Quilting frame



Aug. 22, 1933. WOOD 1,923,247

QUI LT ING FRAME Filed March 12, 1932 Dollyc- Wood Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES QUILTING FRAME Dollye Wood, Table Rock, Nebr.

Application March 12, 1932. Serial No. 598,493

3 Claims. (0145-24) My invention relates to quilting frames, its primary object being the provision of a quilting frame which is collapsible to very small size and which may be set up and expanded to vari- 5 ous sizes for various uses.

Another of my objects is the provision of a quilting frame which is also adapted for stretching curtains and spreads.

Another object which I have in view is the provision of adjustable end and side rails of novel form.

In the design of the quilting frame, my object is to make such a frame that it will be convenient for use by one quilter alone and so that itmay be adjusted for use simultaneously by a number of quilters as in meetings of ladies aid societies.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description,

I will now refer to the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the quilting frame as it appears when fully expanded but with one end let down.

Figure 1A is a'viewin perspective of a disjointed end rail showing particularly the construction of the joints. 7 a

Figure 2 is a view of a fragment of any of the rails and showing the relation of the fabric strip to the rail.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a corner construction of the quilting frame.

Figure 4. is a view in perspective of the top of one of the legs and of a portion of the top raiLshowing particularly the relation between the leg and the top rail.

1 The quilting frame is provided with a pair of supporting stands each of which includes a pair of legs, 10 having feet 11 and having a top rail 12 secured to the legs at their upper extremities. The legs 10 have tenons 13 at their upper extremities which interlock with the top rail12. The main fastening means whereby the top rails 12 are held to the legs 10 are the hooks 14 and eyes 15 which'provide a secure but releasable connection. The feet 11 are amply wide to prevent'the accidental falling over of the supports while the frame is beingbuilt up, I 7

Two side rails consisting of a middle member 16 and two end members 17 are part of the quilting frame proper. Each end member is preferably secured to the middle member by means of ahinge 18 of any desired kind. The

theymay be maintained in expanded relation as by means of'any desired hook and eye construction 19. The middle member 16 of the side rail has substantially the same length as the top rail 12 upon which itrests. The middle member 16 andthe top rail 12 may be firmly but detachably' secured together by any desired means. V

The two end rails are also sectional, each consisting of a middle member 29 and two end members 21. The middle member 20 is provided with a pair of ferrules 22 for slidably engaging the inner extremities of the end mem bers 21. For convenience in assembly and for providing additional strength, the endsof the middle member 20 and the'inner ends of the end members 21 are beveled as shown in Figure 1A. These end rails rest on the side rails, either on the extensions 17 or on the middle por-' tion 16. Securing means are also provided for holding the end and side rails together in any adjusted position. When the end portions '17 of the side rails are in operative position, additional supports are sometimes needed. For this purpose I provide supplemental legs 23 for supporting the end rails at their corners. The corner construction is best shown in Figure 3 showing the top of one of the supplemental legs 23 in its relation to the end and side rails. The supplemental leg 23 is provided at its upper extremity with a head 24 firmly secured to the leg. When used in the'home where only limited space is available and where only one quilter is at work, all of the extensions 17 may be dropped into the position shown at the right in Figure 1 and the end rails may rest directly on the middle portion 16 of the side rails. Under such circumstances, howeventhe better way of using my quilting frame is to employ only therails 12 with the supporting legs 10 and with the two end rails. Where more space is available -or where a number of quilters are at work simultaneously on the same quilt, the quilting frame may be fully expanded to rest on the four main legs 10 and the four supplemental horses or stands. With my ,quilting frame, however, the entire operation can be performed because of the extensions 17 of the side rails.

For securing the various rails together I provide vertical apertures 25 in all of the rails. It is essential that these apertures be uni- I formly spaced in all of the rails and that they is that they lean lightly on the end rails.

be of uniform size. Similar apertures '26 are formed in the heads 24. By spacing the apertures uniformly throughout, it is possible at nearly all times to. get at least two pairs of apertures into registration with each other to receive pins 27. These pins may be brads or nails but any other suitable pins will serve the purpose so long as they are of a diameter to snugly enter the apertures and long enough to serve their purpose.

My quilting frame is designed also for use as a curtain or spread stretcher. For this purpose I have provided all of the rails and all of the rail sections with looped strips of flexible material which may be of fabric or leather or rubber or any similar material. The construction of the looped strips 28 and the relation of these looped strips to the rails is best shown in Figure 2 andalso in Figures 3 and 4. The looped strips are secured to the upper surfaces of the rails to project inwardly therefrom relative to the frame. In the drawing I have shown these strips as being fastened by means of nails or tracks but it is obvious that any other form of fastening device would serve the purpose equally as well. The curtain or spread which is to be stretched is merely secured by means of pins or otherwise to the looped strips 28.

In use as a quilting frame, the above described frame is adapted to all circumstances which would be encountered and it has the utmost convenience during the quilting operations.

If the quilting is done by an individual and especially where only limited room is available, the intermediate portions 16 of the side rails are employed alone, the end sections 17 being either let down as shown at the right in Figure 1 or removed entirely. The removal of the end sections 1'? may easily be effected by employing hinges 18 having separable leaves. In either case, whether the extensions 17 are suspended or removed, the quilt is rolled in its stretched condition on the end rails which then rest on the intermediate portions 16 of the side rails where they may be secured by means of the pins 27. It is, of course, understood that other quilt but they are particularly useful when a number of quilters are working at the same time on one quilt. The quilters tend naturally to get rather close to their work and the result Aside from this, the weight of the arms of several quilters on a single end rail is considerable and it is in these cases that the supplemental legs 23 are especiallyuseful. They are easily removable. or insertable in the structure since they receive only two pins 27 as shown in Figure 3. These supplemental legs 23 are adjustable as the work proceeds. At the beginning of the operation the end rail at the left in Figure 1 may be in the position shown in that figure. As the quilt is being rolled on that end rail during the progress of the work, the end rail is brought nearer and nearer the joints at the hinges 18. During these adjustments the supplemental legs 23 are also moved forwardly so as to be directly underneath the ends of the end rails. When the work has progressed to a point where the end rails have passed the joints of the hinges 18, the supplemental legs 23 are discarded and further movement of the end rails takes place on the upper surface of the intermediate portions of the side rails.

In packing, transportation and storage, my quilting frame also has a decided advantage over the prior quilting frames which in most cases involve the use of four long poles. The legs 10 are separable from the top rails 12.

not exceeding that of the top rail 12. The end rails are separable. When the different parts are separated and folded, they occupy the minimum of space for easy storage or transportation. Being thus compact, they will fit easily.

into a bag or a chest where they will be available for instant use without cleaning off the dust which would accumulate on them if they were exposed during storage.

In manufacture, the rails are provided with rounded edges and when they are made of wood they may be stained, varnished or waxed or treated in any other suitable manner for wood treatment. They may, however, be made of steel or other materials and enameled or painted accordingly. The looped strips 28 may be made of any suitable material and in any desired color so as to give a pleasing appearance to the quilting frame as a whole.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and operation will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a quilting frame, a pair of spaced supports, rails seated lengthwise thereon and releasably secured thereto, extensions hindegly secured to said rails at the extremities thereof, means for releasably maintaining said extensions in alignment with said rails, apair of end rails seated above said extensions and rollable thereon and on said first named rails, means for releasably securing said end rails in any desired position of adjustment on said extensions or on said first named rails, and supplemental legs for supporting said extensions at any desired point in the length thereof, the arrangement being such that said pair of end rails may be rollably supported in operative position on said pair of supports.

2. A quilting frame including a pair of supports, each of said supports including a top rail and a pair of legs releasably secured thereto, a pair of side rails each including an intermediatemember and a pair of extensions hingedly secured thereto, said top rail and said side rails being each provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced vertical apertures, said intermediate member being positioned on said top rail and releasably secured thereto by pins passing through aligning apertures in said top rail and said intermediate member, end rails each resting on a pair of said extensions and rollable The side rails are completely foldable into a length thereof and sections slidable into said ferrules, said middle section and said end sections having interfitting beveled portions at their meeting ends, means for releasably securing said end rails'to said side rails or to the extensions thereof, supplemental legs releasably secured to said extensions of said side rails, and inwardly projecting marginal flaps secured to the upper surfaces of said end rails, said flaps extending over said ferrules.

DOLLYE WOOD. 

